Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms Review

Anime feature film Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms is due to hit UK cinemas nationwide from Wednesday 27th June 2018 thanks to super-duper anime distributors Anime Limited. This finely crafted film marks Mari Okada directorial debut and is certainly worth catching on the big screen while you can.

We were lucky enough to catch it before hand. So read on if you want to know more about this lavish title.

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Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms Review marks the directorial debut of Mari Okada. This is not only just her first feature film, but the first work she has directed.

Mari Okada has not followed a traditional path to becoming a feature film director. She started as a screen writer, working for the anime production company P.A. Works. She created the original animated series, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, and had significant input into its production. Working in the industry, she learned the ins and outs of anime production.

In Otaku News tradition we'll keep this review spoiler free, but I will touch on elements of the story for this review.

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms is an original story written by Mari Okada. It's set in an RPG type European Fantasy world. Maquia lives in Iolph a remote and secluded land, where it's race are blessed with longevity. People there can live for hundreds of years, without aging past their early teens. They're one of the last remaining elements from a bygone age of magic that is slowly fading away. They don't seem to have parents, but all live as a community together. The Iolph spend their tranquil days weaving tapestry and their fabric fetches a high price in the outside world due to its high craftsmanship.

The Iolph are Elvin, slight, blonde and hazel eyed and otherworldly, so it's easy to tell them apart from normal people.

The peaceful life on Iolph is disrupted when foreign invaders arrive hoping to gain understanding of the Iolph's longevity. During this invasion, Maquia is flung far from her homeland and discovers an orphan baby.

Although this is Okada's directorial debut, it doesn't feel like it's the case. The choice of cuts, edits and composition all feel very natural. Production values for this film are lavish. They have clearly used their budget very well. It really does need to be seen on the big screen to be fully enjoyed.

The world created is rich and detailed. Even sets only used for a few shots look like real locations, with attention to detail in making it a working functional world. There is CGI, but it is subtle and doesn't look jarring. The weaving of the cloth is a great example of this.

The soundtrack is by anime maestro Kenji Kawai, who has worked on many titles, but is best known for the Ghost In The Shell Soundtrack.

At almost 2 hours long, the pacing is a bit uneven. Some scenes feel like they're a bit long, or don't really add anything to the story or character development, other scenes feel like they could be expanded on, or that some additional explanation is required. I don't expect things to be spelt out, but there were a few "why doesn't she just..." moments in the film.

As it's from the pen of writer behind Anohana, you know you're going to be set up for an emotional ride. There's plenty of suspense, tension, emotion and drama, with a touch of "the feels" thrown in for good measure too.

At the end of the film, I felt a bit frustrated. We've been introduced to this lavish fantasy world and we've only been given a small taste. It feels like there's so much more that could have been explored, characters motivations and backgrounds could have been fleshed out more. There are also a few characters I really want know more about. It's enjoyable as a two hour movie, but I'd love to see this world explored in a 24 episode adventure.

In conclusion for anime fans I'd pitch it as a mix of Anohana and Escaflowne. It's a captivating and emotionally moving fantasy. With lush visuals and engaging story, it's really worth catching on the big screen to get the full enjoyment.

You can catch Maquia in cinemas across the UK from Wednesday 27th June 2018. To find a screening near you visit www.maquiafilm.co.uk.